H I Sutton

Typically man-optional. Best source on all this stuff is a classic proper OSINT blogger (who does awesome pics too): https://www.hisutton.com/

The definitive source for this stuff - he literally wrote the book on it - is H I Sutton http://www.hisutton.com/ He does videos on youtube too https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO-VQllYIZo Its very likely the mainstream media pick up this stuff because they follow him :D

I have a library of work-related books (military). Most of the great ones have no digital alternative. Authors of rare or definitive works know to avoid digital formats. Last year I paid 200+ to get my hands on a newly printed book because i know it will still be relevant on my shelf in 10/20/30 years. After reading it once I may leave it on that shelf for years. One day i will need it again. I will know where to find it no matter what OS i will then be using. Things like this cannot be bought digitally, nor would most readers want a digital copy. http://www.hisutton.com/pages/Book%20project.html I cannot champion this guy enough. His website belongs jn the 90s (it needs the "www") but his skills in open source analysis and drawing are unmatched. (He draws in MS paint!) http://www.hisutton.com/ https://youtu.be/PdKkR_lbLN0

H I Sutton has a good article on Israel's 'Killer Dolphins' I think in reality it was not a device to kill but had an other use, like mentioned. Hamas seems to say the frogman was killed, but doesn't confirm by the dolphin in the English quotes. If the dolphins got contused and attacked a school trip swimming at the beach it wouldn't look great. All you need is the dolphin to call back it's found something then drop a conventional bomb in the water or what not. http://www.hisutton.com/Israeli-Navy-Killer-Dolphins.html

DARPA is interested in the WIG[1] craft (probably lobbied by Boeing, but that doesn't necessarily make it a bad idea for defense investment). This solicitation reads more like a plane that can swim vice a ship that can fly. I always wondered why Russia cancelled their WIG program [2], which was more like a ship that can fly a bit than the opposite. The story behind brilliant Russian engineer Rostislav Alexeyev [3], who championed the Russian WIG is fascinating. 1. https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/08/darpa-requests-informatio… 2. http://www.hisutton.com/Russian-Navy-Ekranoplan-WIG.html 3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rostislav_Alexeyev

For those interested in learning more about narcobubmarines, I recommend H I Sutton. His original work [1] and his twitter stream [2] are very solid. [1] http://www.hisutton.com/Largest-Narco-Submarines-Compared.html [2] https://twitter.com/covertshores

Great article and all blog, bookmarked Some other juice photos Narco Submarines Covert Shores Guide - updated http://www.hisutton.com/Narco%20Subs%20101.html

A separate detailed analysis of the 941 boats by, H.I. Sutton - his "Covert Shores" blog and publications are my favorite Naval tech OSINT and historical data sources: http://www.hisutton.com/The%20REAL%20Red%20October%20-%20Typhoon%20SSB… .. I really enjoy his material for the original artwork and diagrams.

How they were hit? Multiple drones overwhelming relatively small number of air defense systems. Systems like Patriot are great against several very capable targets like ballistic missiles. Such (expensive centralized) systems do much worse against multiple widespread targets like an armada of low flying low speed drones (add to that low speed cut-off filter to avoid hitting general aviation and the likes). Point defense systems like Skyshield (or even that very old and cheap - $2M - Gepard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flakpanzer_Gepard ) work wonderfully against all those drones coming in. Heck, even just soldiers with MANPADs would have easily shot down those drones (you just have to distribute those soldiers to all those strategic objects which hasn't been done) We have classic situation here - everybody have been watching Ukraine war for 4 years, yet nobody has prepared for such style of war. >I am unconvinced that even AMZN's pocket change could realiably protect against the kind of attacks we see in this war No even low flying slow drone - pretty typical situation of top Russian cruise missile shot down by Gepard https://www.reddit.com/r/CombatFootage/comments/zdbvim/a_ukrainian_gep… Also AMZN has its own drones dept - in "hot" zones in "hot" times they can put several people with drones (in the high speed configuration) to be used for interception. This is basically how Ukranians have been doing, and that is an experience they…

> I doubt Iran has these According to guys in the know, they have quite the hardware: https://www.hisutton.com/Iranian-Naval-Mines.html

There's different models from several suppliers as well: https://www.hisutton.com/Ukrainian-Interceptor-Drones.html

Must be said: > Like almost all ‘narco submarines’ the vessels used are not true submarines. They cannot submerge, instead relying on running extremely low in the water to avoid detection. The approach works; most get through.- Though fully submersible ones exist. FSVs, Fully submersible vessels in the author's taxonomy: - http://www.hisutton.com/Narco%20Subs%20101.html

This actually seems to be happening already in regards to manufacturing. I read an obscure article a while back about autonomous narco submarines surfacing in Spain, which suggests a certain sophistication and standardization of the manufacturing process [1]. > The [d]rone submarines are essentially identical, suggesting series production of a refined design. They also found a "narco surfboard" which presumably disguises drug shipments in an abandoned surfboard. In the arms race between traffickers and enforcers, I'd imagine both sides will be continuously developing increasingly sophisticated technology for underwater smuggling, especially given how much money is involved - so I could totally imagine a high-tech manufacturing industry emerge as a byproduct. I would also find it quite funny :) 1. http://www.hisutton.com/Narco-Drone-Submarine-Found-In-Spain.html

http://www.hisutton.com/Belgorod-Class-Submarine.html The guy makes these cutaway of the subs with MS Paint http://www.hisutton.com/Spy%20Sub%20-%20Project%2010831%20Losharik.htm… http://www.hisutton.com/Russian-Intervention-Underwater-Drone.html Video about seabed-warfare https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H_tFKT9EXU these are Russian subs / AUVs , very cool stuff.

Eh, most narco-submarines aren't really submarines; almost all are semi-submersible boats that run low in the water with snorkels. However, organized crime using unmanned true submersibles might [soon, or presently] be feasible. The expertise needed to actually attack a cable in a constructive manner would be a significant barrier to clear, but not inconceivable for crime organizations that can kidnap and coerce tech professionals. The ability to splice fiber underwater with a drone submersible seems extremely advanced though. I think only a few nations might presently have such a capability. Nice summary of narco subs from HI Sutton: http://www.hisutton.com/Narco%20Subs%20101.html and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR18qhnGEpM

Ballistic missile defense capabilities will remain very limited for at least the next few years. But Russia has also hedged against this risk by developing the Poseidon strategic nuclear torpedo. We have no effective defense. http://www.hisutton.com/Belgorod-Class-Submarine.html

> I have been thinking recently about submarines and wondering how crew size could be reduced through automation. I believe the Alfa class submarines went this exact route. According to Sutton it had a crew complement of 32: http://www.hisutton.com/Alfa_Class_Submarine.html Much more modern plans along similar design thinking is the SHELF reactor. It is designed to operates in an underwater, sealed capsule that is monitored and controlled remotely. Source: https://aris.iaea.org/Publications/smr-status-sep-2012.pdf

Well, I guess for every guy using MS Paint and GIMP for maritime 3D cutaway illustrations, there's another person using Inkscape for cropping. No judgement. http://www.hisutton.com/How%20to%20draw%20sub%20cutaways%20in%20MS%20P…

http://www.hisutton.com/The%20Escape%20of%20Bernd%20Boettger.html This link from the article's footer was even more interesting – an escape from East germany using self-made "scuba scooter".

This article from the same site has pictures and also a cutaway of a transatlantic sub. http://www.hisutton.com/Narco%20Subs%20101.html

The Belgorod makes much more sense: http://www.hisutton.com/Spy%20Subs%20-Project%2009852%20Belgorod.html BTW: One can find it here: Google Maps 64.58557915035752, 39.817968886716 Next to the only typhoon still in ~service 64.57990365204542, 39.791519636530744

Yes, but this is some leak from a civic nuclear power station, not some nuclear powered missile. Either from the stone-age Leningrad plant, or maybe from a secret Russian military ship cruising around that time, with a Poseidon (Skyfall) But very unlikely that that ship is nuclear powered. http://www.hisutton.com/Akademik-Aleksandrov.html

I think Arkhangelsk being involved seems likely. The Russian ship "Akademik Aleksandrov" aka Project 20183 was apparently in that area recently[1], and seems obviously related to Poseidon[2]. If the source of the radiation were a Poseidon, that would certainly explain the secrecy. As for claims of the fission products coming from a "civil source", I don't think enough is known about Poseidon's reactors to rule that out. I could be wrong, but as far as I've read the details of that reactor are up in the air (besides being small, obviously.) [1] https://twitter.com/FrankBottema/status/1276930424170844162 [2] http://www.hisutton.com/Akademik-Aleksandrov.html

So basically personnel can't access the reactor and engine compartments from the life support units, the sub has to surface. Here's a bigger version of the same diagram with readable text: http://www.hisutton.com/images/Ru_Losharik_Cutaway.jpg Skegs, hydraulic manipulator, no weapons. It's clearly ment to tamper with undersea cables.

BTW, the real "Red October" is a Typhoon class sub: http://www.hisutton.com/The%20REAL%20Red%20October%20-%20Typhoon%20SSB…

Their next move would be disconnecting the US. http://www.hisutton.com/Yantar.html What then?

This article is a repackaging of a Vice article: https://motherboard.vice.com/read/this-theory-about-a-russian-ship-tap… The Vice article is low on actual maps and photos. Someone posted to HN a link to a similar article with a lot more visual data http://www.hisutton.com/Yantar.html https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12696753

This is complicated. For context, there's a 1936 international treaty that regulates traversal of the Bosporus Straits called the Montreux convention [1]. it generally allows the passage of warships with a couple of exceptions and it depends on if Turkey is at war or not. What happened in 2022 is that Turkey decided Russia's invasion was a "war" (in the context of a treaty) and thus limited access to the Black Sea to Russian warships. But that comes with a couple of restrictions. The most notable one is that Russia is allowed to use the passage for ships based in the Black Sea and that was important. Ukraine could (and did) attack ships in Sevastopol and when that happened, they would have to retreat to repair (if possible). And they went to Syria to do that one several occasions. Turkey's relationship with Europe, NATO, the US and Russia is... complicated. Like Turkey is the largest military in NATO (other than the US of course) and does pretty much whatever the US tells them to, but they also buy Russian armaments (eg missile systems) and the US has stationed nuclear weapons in Turkey. And while buying Russian arms, Turkey is selling drones to Ukraine who is using them to attack Russia. And Turkey, despite being a NATO member, has been at war with Greece, another NATO member. Russia also has used internal waterways to bypass the Bosporus Straits [2]. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreux_Convention_Regarding_the_Regime… [2]:…